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Sports

SSHS Soccer Star Keri Cavallo Selected to U-14 National Team

Forward impresses at Portland camp to earn spot on U.S. team.

With years of sustained success, it’s easy for Rockville Centre to be spoiled by the talent of its girls soccer leagues — from the South Side Lady Cyclones to stacked club teams.

Yet these young women continue to surprise with their skill, the latest being Keri Cavallo, a fourteen-year-old phenom who was recently selected to the Under-14 U.S. Girls National Team.

After participating in the National ID camp in Portland this August — a showcase where the best players from around the country compete for a chance at the national team — U.S. Soccer officials reached out to Cavallo via email about participating in a camp for the U-14 team.

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“I was thrilled,” Cavallo said. “It’s the dream of a lifetime. I've learned that with hard work anything is possible.”

For Cavallo, her hard work has clearly paid off. Though she's played for teams across the state and region, Cavallo’s soccer roots are distinctly Rockville Centre.

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“I started playing soccer in kindergarten for the Rockville Centre Recreation Center,” she said. “But my love for the sport really took off when I entered Long Island Junior Select and Eastern New York ODP State Program.”

Building off the camaraderie and competition of these teams, Cavallo developed a dynamic set of skills at her forward position. As her play improved, U.S. soccer clearly saw that Cavallo was full of explosive talent and potential.

“There aren’t that many natural lefties playing soccer so she’s rare,” said Jill Ellis, development director for U.S. Women’s Soccer National Teams. “For Keri, our rationale for bringing her out to this camp was the fact that she stood out in Portland with her technical ability, athleticism and competitiveness.

“On the field she’s good 1-on-1, setting up players and beating them off the dribble and getting good service and crosses off. She can also bring her teammates into the game which means she doesn’t just operate as an individual — she can work off of other players and bring them into the game, which for a younger player is a great quality.”

The U-14 team is the youngest age group for national soccer teams and serves as a means to examine young talent and groom them for a future with U.S. Soccer. The 72 players originally selected to the Portland ID camp were narrowed down to 36 for the U-14 camp.

For Cavallo, an impressive showing at U-14 can mean an invitation to the higher-age group camps and a continued presence with U.S. Soccer. “U.S. Soccer is trying to identify and develop players so that someday we can get them onto our fall team, which is considered our Olympic Team or World Cup team,” Ellis said. “This is considered the beginning of that journey for many of these kids.”

If Cavallo’s season with South Side High School so far is any indication — three goals and an assist — Cavallo should be in position to continue her ascent in the U.S. Soccer ranks.

“Keri has done well this week,” Ellis said. “The great thing about being apart of the national team is that you’re not just playing with local players or regional players, you’re playing and competing with players from every part of the country.”

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